Powerful Hitters Make Magic For No. 1 Wizards

GREENACRES CITY — It`s no wonder the Instant Landscaping Wizards won the regular-season championship of the Greenacres City Parks and Recreation Department`s Men`s C League.

Of the top eight hitters in the six-team league, four played for the Wizards, who ended the regular season at 9-1. Wizards` left fielder Kim Roberts led his teammates with a .706 batting average followed by right fielder Kevin Drake, .682; catcher David Thompson, .641; and assigned hitter Ellis Hall, .621.

In the league tournament championship, Plus Two Lounge came out of the loser`s bracket to defeat Home Electric 15-5, before Home Electric won the tournament championship game with a 13-1 victory over Plus Two Lounge.

Roberts is probably the Wizards` most dedicated player. Monday he will undergo surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes in his neck.

``In a week`s time, I hope to be back practicing with the team,`` Roberts said. ``I don`t plan to let that stop me.``

``The reason we won so many games is that we have a positive attitude,`` said Wizards` sponsor and coach Avery Milstead of Loxahatchee. ``These guys don`t quit. Especially guys like Roberts and Drake. Roberts is our lead-off batter and consistently gets on base and Drake is the spark plug for our team. Drake keeps everybody going.``

Drake showed his aggressiveness late in the season when he broke his hand sliding into first base on an attempt to break up a double play.

``I have to have the cast on my hand for four more weeks, but I`m ready to play now,`` Drake said.

Drake plans to be back with the team shortly after the Wizards resume playing in the next Greenacres Parks and Recreation Department`s Men`s C League season that begins Nov. 19. The Wizards will also compete in a West Palm Beach city league at Gaines Park, Milstead said.

``When the seasons are going strong, some of these guys play five nights a week,`` he said. ``Once the Gaines Park league starts up, we`ll be playing two games in the same night - playing a game in Greenacres City and driving over to Gaines Park for the West Palm Beach league.``

Milstead said the Wizard`s goal is to win the C League state championship and then represent Florida in the national championship next summer.

``Since forming this team in May, we`ve reached, or come very close to reaching, every goal we`ve made,`` Milstead said. ``We`ve played in three different C leagues and our goal in the first league was to finish in the top four. We finished fifth.

``In the next league, our goal was to finish in the top three and we came in second. In this last season our goal was to come in No. 1 and we did.``